Question

Is there any easy way to see this has no reaction? 2NH4ClO4(aq) + Cu(NO3)2(aq) ® 2NH4NO3(aq) + Cu(ClO4)2(aq

Answer 1

What do you mean? Do you mean how can you tell that a reaction cannot occur?

Answer 2

@SapphireMoon hey!!! The ions apparently cancel out and no reaction is made. But how

Answer 3

Ah, I know. This question is sneaky, because it's really basically lying to you the entire time. For NH4ClO4 (aq), it's really just ammonium and perchlorate ions floating around in water, it's not really ammonium perchlorate anymore. Copper (II) nitrate becomes Cu2+ and NO3- ions in water. Then on the other side, they become ammonium and nitrate ions, and copper (II) and perchlorate ions. This isn't really a reaction because there's just four different ions in water, it doesn't matter how you write them because they're not attached to each other anyway.

Answer 4

@Melissa_Something

Answer 5

@SapphireMoon Oh thank you! What do you mean they're not attached to each other anyway?

Answer 6

So basically its just 4 different ions

Answer 7

it's a double displacement reaction where all 4 compounds are soluble and dissociated in water, so it's like none of the ions ever stick together once they're mixed, so no real "reaction" occurs

Answer 8

^this^ @Melissa_Something A+ on clearing that up @JFraser!